I have Ubuntu 10.10 installed on a machine for my parents. The thing is they never request updates from Update Manager even the manager itself prompted them so. Moreover, when they are done with whatever they are doing on Ubuntu, they always leave the computer on. And I always have to come back and shut the machine down. Sometimes, the computer even sit idle for hours.

So I want to know whether this is possible in Ubuntu. I am thinking of a script that will be activated after the machine is idle for x minutes. When x minutes have elapsed, Update Manager will automatically update everything listed. (I recall that you need the admin password for this, so is there a workaround?) After all the updates are done, the machine will automatically shutdown.

Is this possible?